There’s an old Cherokee Indian story about a wise tribal elder and his grandson as they sat around the fire late at night. The grandfather was trying to teach his grandson about life and the power of thought.

“There are two wolves inside all of us, and they are always fighting each other,” the grandfather said. “One of them is a good wolf, who is compassionate and courageous and loving. The other is an evil wolf, who is fearful and cruel and filled with hate.”

The little boy looked up at his grandfather and said, “Which wolf will win?”

The grandfather replied, “The one you feed.”

So, with apologies for mixing my footwear and furry animal metaphors, here are some ways to make sure you’re throwing kibble in the right direction.

Four signs you might be feeding the bad wolf:

1. Binge watching network news (or binge-reading the news, social media, etc.) and then becoming convinced the world is a terrible, irredeemable place
2. Blaming everything around you (the weather, the boss, the spouse, the kids) for your foul state of mind
3. Spending too much negative energy thinking about the person who offended you, cut you off in traffic, gave you a funny look, etc., and how you’d like to get them back.
4. Slouching around in a negative thought state, like depression or anxiety, not because it feels good, but because it’s familiar.

Four ways to feed the good wolf:

1. Surround yourself with positive, expansive and loving energy, and remember for every one bad thing that happens, there are thousands of miracles occurring on a regular basis.
2. Acceptance: Tony Robbins says “What we resist, persists.” The faster we can get to acceptance – acknowledging a situation for what it is and not spinning up stories that keep us stuck there – the faster we can grow beyond it.
3. Cultivate compassion for others: Recognize that everyone’s on their own path, and we don’t know what their situation is. If a driver cuts you off, you could choose to believe he’s a jackass and be angry all day or you could tell yourself there’s an injured animal in the back seat and he’s rushing to the vet. Goofy? Maybe. But the latter explanation makes you feel a lot less prickly.
4. Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude: Go out today and find three examples of the good in the world and if you’re inspired, say thank you.

Which wolf will you feed today?